Do you suffer from aversion to selling?

Consider another perspective to this classic challenge when selling.

To some making an offer feels natural, they can pitch any offer to an audience with great success, whereas others – and that’s the majority – struggle with it.

I assume you consider yourself belonging to the second group. You may believe that selling is a necessary evil to run a business and make some money. Additionally, you may experience feeling uncomfortable to advertise and pitch your offers trying to manipulate others to buy from you. You don’t like to be pushy to achieve a sale.

Here’s the thing:

YOU DON’T HAVE TO!

Today I’d like to offer a different perspective.

Common Advice

Usually, we look for proven strategies and success templates that we want to apply to our business. Many entrepreneurs operate under the impression that they should sell according to a common template.

We were taught that there is a certain way how a selling process works, and we see others using it effectively. So we believe we have to do the same and follow those methods or even blueprints. Sales experts tell us to refer to the customers pain points, to persuade and convince prospective clients and that some kind of manipulation won’t hurt. These are the tactics that help that unpleasant feeling that selling brings. It feels like enforcing the sale; it feels like we have to be pushy and salesy to get there. In the end, it drains our energy and thus selling our offers doesn’t come easy.

Rarely anyone advises on what is the right selling strategy for the business owner based on his or her abilities and needs. When I work with people, I often hear them say, “I was told to follow that concept”. And they sense some relief when I explain to them they do not need to follow those trails if they don’t feel comfortable with it. Because it’s recommended doesn’t necessarily mean you are like everyone and should use that blueprint.

Here’s the thing, if you are not comfortable with the style of selling, your delivery can come across as sounding fake or disingenuous. Which may be precisely the impression you are hoping to avoid.

Alignment Is Key

What to do instead? Make your business aligned. Align your businesses mission with your vision and your expertise and let your products or services reflect what you and your business stand for. This includes:

Values & Standards

Know your values and standards; they are the underlying basis for your actions. If your values resonate with your prospective customers, it is much easier to turn them into buying clients.

Relationship-building & Communication

How you communicate matters. Connect to the people that purchase from you. Connect first, serve and help, and become attractive with your services. Connecting on a personal level to your customers makes everything you do more trustworthy and valuable. Let’s look at an example.

When you show up to have a sales conversation, you’re showing up with the sale in mind. Your only objective is to make the sale, right?

When you show up to have a conversation, you show up to serve that person no matter what the outcome is at the end of the conversation, and getting the sale might happen effortlessly by itself.

Sharing The Motivation

Tell people what motivates and drives you in business and let them know how you want to contribute. Share with your audience what is the deeper truth and meaning in what you have to offer. These are connection-building points on an emotional level with your clients

It Is About You

Develop your own way of selling. Explore what feels natural and what comes easily to you. Are you good at selling directly from the stage? Excellent! Do You tend to make a sale happen after having had a personal conversation with a prospect? Then the favourite way of selling relies on trust building conversations. Do you sell best when your products speak for themselves because they offer the best solution possible for your audience? Even better!

Find your unique selling template based on your abilities.

Once your are approaching sales with a clear expression of your business, presenting and advertising your offers will feel easier and more enjoyable because it is in alignment with you.

The spirit of the time supports a change towards greater integrity in business. Potential customers want to connect; they want to buy from people who have a value system they aspire to – so they want to experience your take on the services you are offering. By expressing your personality and your value-system, you are attracting the right customers resonating with you. So be you, be your real self in all that you do and don’t continue to follow bland templates.

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Guest blogger Isabella von Philippovich is a personal branding strategist and marketing strategist and founder of Business With Personality. It is her mission to help entrepreneurs enhance their business and marketing with uniqueness, authenticity and personality. Having made the move from being a public person in her career as a managing director to now a business owner of her personal branding and marketing strategy company, she knows first-hand the challenges of stepping outside one’s comfort zone to be publicly visible.

From new business founders to already successful entrepreneurs and celebrities, she works with people who want to overcome the uncomfortable feeling of being in the public eye. She is passionate about supporting people at all levels, in exploring their inherent strengths and in building foundations for personal success.

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4 thoughts on “Do you suffer from aversion to selling?”

You really do have to be authentic in your selling points by sticking with your core values and trusting your intuition. Whenever I’ve taken the advice of others instead of listening to my own authentic voice – I’ve failed miserably but when I tap into my own gut instincts my business thrives!
Thanks for offering this great piece of wisdom today!